CN117425505A - Wearable device for treating respiratory air - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device configured to be worn on the head of a user and provided with breathing air purification and treatment functions. In particular, the invention relates to such a device in which the cleansing function is ensured by leaving the face of the user substantially free.

Description

Wearable device for treating respiratory air

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device configured to be worn on the head of a user and provided with a breathing air purification function. In particular, the invention relates to such a device in which the cleansing function is ensured by leaving the face of the user substantially free.

Background

Devices of the above type are known which, in what may be said to be a generally annular structure, provide ducts extending laterally or at the bottom of the user's head, so as to deliver a flow of purified air to the nose-cheek region of the user for inhalation by the user himself. To this end, the duct is mechanically and pneumatically associated and interconnected with an air handling unit adapted to be arranged in the rear region of the head of the user and comprising pneumatic flow propulsion means with impeller members and air handling means adapted to perform the function of purifying the pneumatic flow. Among the known solutions, some involve leaving the face of the user substantially open and free, the duct ending in an opening, which may be located on the side of the aforesaid nose-cheek area. Among these, the devices shown in, for example, documents WO2015/140776, US10821255, CN106669056 are of interest.

This type of solution makes the device quite effective in ensuring a certain degree of protection against atmospheric pollution (ensuring that the user can inhale a greater amount of treated/filtered air than normal atmospheric air and/or external environment), while maintaining the relative ability ensured by the face remaining clear, and significantly achieving good wearing comfort without discomfort impeding continuous or prolonged use.

It is also possible to provide the function of inhaling and subsequently treating/filtering the exhaled air, but this tends to be provided in the case of devices covering the nose-cheek area, for example devices which are the subject of document WO 2013/082550. In the latter case, therefore, these systems are almost intolerable, except in special cases and for a limited time.

In general, the forced ventilation systems employed in these known devices create in any case an open circuit in which the majority of the purified air is emitted into the environment, and the filtration system has the burden of starting the continuous production of new treated air from the completely untreated ambient air.

In addition, the treatment and/or filtration units employed in such systems, while possibly exhibiting acceptable performance in some cases, generally require regular replacement operations of the filters, cartridges or the like, or in any case necessitate frequent, laborious and, in particular, very expensive maintenance operations by the user. Some known devices are in any case relatively bulky and heavy, so that it is not possible to encourage their use.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of this state of the art, the applicant has now developed a wearable breathing air purification device of the type configured to be worn on the head, which, unlike the devices available in the prior art, simultaneously achieves all the following objectives:

high filtration or purification efficiency, low energy consumption, low maintenance costs of the filtration/treatment system;

by leaving the nose-cheek area free to wear comfortably, it is possible to use continuously without compromising social and relational activities and without the risk of hypoxia caused by any kind of mask system;

-effectiveness against contaminants and infectious agents;

compact, lightweight and ergonomic.

These and other auxiliary objects are achieved by a wearable breathing air treatment device, the essential features of which are defined in the first of the appended claims. Other important additional features are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

Drawings

Features and advantages of the wearable breathing air treatment device according to the invention will become more apparent from the following description of its embodiments, which is given by way of example and not by way of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is an isometric view of a wearable device in a first embodiment according to the invention;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the device of FIG. 1 worn on the head of a user;

fig. 3 shows again in an isometric form an exploded view of the device in the first embodiment of the previous figures;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the device of the previous figures with the components separated at different heights to highlight the pneumatic circuit;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views of the device according to section planes V-V and VI-VI of FIG. 4, respectively, with the components of FIG. 6 omitted;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional isometric view of an air handling unit of the apparatus of the previous figure;

fig. 8 is an isometric view of a wearable device in a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the device of the second embodiment of FIG. 8, again shown in an isometric view;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIGS. 8 and 9 in a principal plane of deployment of the device; and

fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the device according to the second embodiment of the section plane XI-XI of fig. 10.

Detailed Description

Referring to the figures, the device according to the invention has a substantially annular structure configured to be worn on the head C of a user (fig. 2) while leaving the face substantially free.

The device comprises (reference numerals of the two embodiments) at least one air suction conduit 1, 101 extending between a suction inlet 1a, 101a and an air outlet 1b, 101b for the air to be treated containing suspended contaminant particles, the suction inlet 1a, 101a being arranged in the vicinity of the nose-cheek area of the user and the air outlet 1b, 101b being arranged in the vicinity of the head of the user when the device is worn.

Then, at least one exhaust duct 2, 102 extends between a process air exhaust outlet 2a, 102a and an inlet 2b, 102b, the process air exhaust outlet 2a, 102a in turn being arranged in the vicinity of the nose-cheek region (the region of the exhaust outlet 2a, 102a facing opposite to the suction inlet 1a, 101a being intended to be on the opposite side) and in line therewith, the inlet 2b, 102b being adapted to be arranged in the rear region of the head. Preferably, the cross section of the discharge duct (at least at the end with the outlet gap) is smaller than the corresponding cross section of the suction duct (at the end with the suction gap) in order to facilitate the injection of air.

The two ducts 1, 2, 101, 102 are mechanically and pneumatically (with the outlet of the suction duct and the inlet of the discharge duct, respectively) coupled to the air treatment unit 3, 103, the air treatment unit 3, 103 thus being in turn adapted to be arranged in the rear region of the head.

The treatment unit 3, 103 comprises pneumatic flow propulsion means for promoting the pneumatic flow from the suction duct to the discharge duct, in effect realizing a semi-closed loop, whereby air is sucked from the nose-cheek region, through the treatment unit and out back into the aforesaid region. The only opening is represented by the separate volume between the outlet-inlet of the individual ducts in the nose-cheek area of the user, in which volume there is a large amount of treated/healthy air available for inhalation by the user. However, due to the positioning of the inlet-outlet gap, a substantial portion of the treated air discharged by the discharge duct is gradually sucked back by the suction duct, in the sense that it can be said to be a loop approaching a semi-closed state.

The processing unit then comprises the actual processing/filtering system 5, 105 (discussed in more detail later), and an energizing system, e.g. a micro motor 6, 16 powered by a rechargeable battery, to move the impeller member and to energize the processing/filtering system in great effort. The wiring, switches and what is generally necessary to ensure the operation of the simple electrical components employed in the device are not shown, as they are of obvious nature and are obviously achievable. For example, in particular, it will be provided obvious means for adjusting or partitioning the flow rate and/or speed of the air flow within a pre-established intervention, so as to adapt the device to its own needs, acting on the operation of the motor and/or on the section of the duct.

Again according to the invention, the treatment/filtration system comprises a tubular chamber 7, 107, for example but not necessarily conical or more suitably frustoconical, defining an inner side surface 7a, 107a, which inner side surface 7a, 107a extends according to an axis Z, Y' between a first end 7b, 107b having a smaller diameter and being in pneumatic communication with the outlet of the suction duct and a second end 7c, 107c having a larger diameter and being in pneumatic communication with said inlet of the discharge duct, thus being affected by the circulation facilitated by the pneumatic flow propulsion means. Pneumatic flow directing means adapted to promote swirling circulation within the chamber itself are also associated with the chamber.

According to a preferred solution, but not exclusively other possible solutions, the propulsion means and the means for guiding the aerodynamic flow are made of the same component, the impeller members 4, 104 are advantageously arranged coaxially with the chamber intercepting the inside thereof, have an axis of rotation Z, Y', and are provided with suitable blades like centrifugal impellers.

The water reservoir 8, 108 communicates with the chamber, being placed near the first end 7b, 107b having the smaller diameter. The reservoir is affected by water sprayer means 9, 109 (e.g. means for agitating the water contained therein) which are configured to facilitate the discharge of atomized water entering the chamber through the first end, whereby the atomized water is enclosed by the air to be treated entering the chamber through the first end and is affected by swirling circulation, e.g. facilitated by impellers, deposits of water retaining the contaminant particles form cohesively on the inside surface of the chamber and tend to return to the reservoir from which they can be periodically disposed of by replenishment/replacement of the water due to the reversible connection between the reservoir and the rest of the unit.

In general terms, reference is made more specifically to the embodiment selection, and therefore here to the first embodiment and the related figures from fig. 1 to 7, the processing unit 3 is configured with the rotation axis of the impeller and the development axis Z of the chamber, which axis Z is arranged orthogonal to the overall development plane XY of the device, i.e. the plane defined by the layout of the ducts, and which corresponds to the transversal plane of the head in the arrangement of use of the device. In fact, in this use arrangement, the axis Z is substantially vertical when the user is in the upright position.

In this case, the processing unit 3 comprises a box-like body 31 for housing and supporting the other components, the box-like body 31 being defined by a lower portion 31a and an upper portion 31b, the lower portion 31a and the upper portion 31b being substantially disc-shaped, the lower portion having a larger cross-section, the lower portion being polar-symmetrical with respect to the axis Z. The suction duct 1 and the discharge duct 2 are engaged in the lower and upper portions of the body, respectively, at substantially tangential angles.

The lower or volute 31a is closed at the base by a permeable membrane 32, which membrane 32 is placed orthogonally to the axis Z, and we will return to this membrane 32 later, which membrane 32 thus separates the interior of the box-like body 31 from the reservoir 8 underneath, as described above, the reversible connection being advantageously operable between these components, for example with screws 32c-8b with suitable seals (not shown). The lower part 31a also centrally accommodates a sleeve 7, for example a sleeve of exactly conical shape, which implements the above-mentioned chamber, so that the second end 7c, in this case the upper end, is adjacent to the upper part or volute 31b. Around the sleeve 7, the lower portion 31a forms a lower annular channel 33 for distributing the air supplied by the suction duct 1 around the base of the sleeve itself. The sleeve having the first end 7b is spaced relative to the diaphragm 32 to form a channel 34 of pneumatic flow between the annular channel and the interior of the sleeve or chamber 7.

The upper portion 31b centrally accommodates the centrifugal impeller 4, which centrifugal impeller 4 is arranged at the second end 7c of the conical sleeve 7, as described above, defining an upper annular channel 35 therearound for radial distribution of air and for guiding the air towards the discharge duct 2.

Returning to the permeable membrane 32, in the embodiment shown it has a main septum 32a, the main septum 32a having distributed seats 32c, the seats 32c housing respective stirring elements in the form of porous piezoelectric foils 9, the aforementioned sprayer means being advantageously manufactured with the porous piezoelectric foils 9. In this embodiment solution, water is supplied to the foil, which is responsible for stirring by vibrating at a suitable frequency and thus causing the atomized water to diffuse inside the chamber 7 from the first end 7b, advantageously exploiting the capillary phenomenon through the tube 37, the tube 37 rising from the inside of the reservoir and passing through the septum 32a suitably provided with holes 32d below the seat 32 c. These tubes are for example realized by a body of known structure made of porous or spongy material (such as cellulose acetate) which forms small channels precisely adapted to create the physical phenomenon of water rising through capillary action. In addition to this possible embodiment solution by vibration (which is advantageous in terms of simplicity and efficiency, as described above), the sprayer means may comprise other types of emergency means suitable for producing equivalent results in the formation of aerosols.

The membrane 32 is completed by a cover 32e superimposed on the diaphragm 32a, the cover 32e closing the seat 32c of the piezoelectric foil, carrying at their correspondence the first distribution of holes 32f to allow the passage of the atomized water towards the chamber. The plate-shaped cover 32e also carries second distributed holes 32g, corresponding to the channels 32h of the septum 32a, in which channels 32h respective discharge pipes 36 penetrate and extend from the first end 7b of the conical sleeve 7, which is folded inwards to form a peripheral shower portion 7d, which shower portion 7d has the function of collecting water mixed with impurities falling along the inner side surface 7a, the communication between the shower portion and the discharge pipes 36 allowing the water to settle back into the reservoir.

The device may also be provided with other treatment systems, such as one or more UVC radiation LED strips, in which case the lower annular strip 38a in the reservoir 8 and the upper spiral strip 38b surrounding the sleeve 7 all increase exactly the sterilization, which can be achieved, as we know, by suitably adapted radiation of the type described before.

Thus, the device described so far operates as follows, with particular reference to fig. 4 and 6, in which the arrows illustrate the air and water flow. Once worn on the head and the catheter in place, the outlet gap 2a of the discharge catheter 2 and the inlet gap 1a of the suction catheter 1 are located in the nose-cheek region, defining an exchange volume V that is affected by the aerodynamic action of the device, and when facing the respiratory cavity, it represents precisely the air exchange volume produced by the inhalation and exhalation activities of the user.

During inspiration, the inlet flow removed from the volume V is replenished with air from the surrounding environment. During the exhalation phase, respiration combines with flow into the device. In this way, the device repeatedly treats and purifies a large volume of air, including the same exhaled air, enhancing cleanliness.

Along the path of the air to be treated, the air to be treated comprises contaminants in the form of particulate matter, dust, suspended volatile matter, etc. This path is pushed by the impeller 4 as described above, and then the air enters the suction duct 1 through the inlet or suction inlet gap 1a (arrow a of fig. 4) and reaches the lower annular channel 33 of the lower part, distributes itself at the base of the sleeve 7 and is sucked axially into the sleeve 7 through the first end 7B of the sleeve 7 (arrow B of fig. 6). Here, due to the vibration of the piezoelectric foil 9 (illustrated by the conical region C of fig. 6 and 7), the air encases the discharge of the atomized water rising from the membrane 32. The action of the vortex induced by the impeller on the air and contaminant particle/dust mixture by suction facilitates the aggregation of these suspended particles with the micro-droplets of water produced by the foil. The mixture is swirled within the chamber defined by the sleeve and along its axis (the axial component of which is represented by arrow D in fig. 6) towards the impeller.

By approaching the second end 7c of the chamber 7, the swirling flow exhibits a strong centrifugal component (arrow E in the same figure 6). The tangential velocity of the mixture increases as it approaches the impeller mouth, thereby increasing the centrifugal effect. Near the mouth of the impeller 4, the droplets and the combined material thus tend to stay on the inner side surface 7a, while air enters the compartments of the impeller blades.

Due to the divergent diameter shape of the surface and the pressure gradient created in the chamber, this substantially liquid deposit tends to descend towards the first end 7b and from there to collect in the spray portion 7d and deposit through the discharge pipe 36 (arrow F in fig. 6) at the bottom of the reservoir 8, where the contaminating components removed from the pneumatic flow also accumulate. Impurities accumulated in the reservoir settle to the bottom and can be removed by unscrewing the reservoir, by which operation the consumed water will also be gradually replenished. The treated air is distributed downstream of the impeller into the upper annular channel 35 and from there into the discharge duct 2 (arrow G in fig. 4) to be recombined into the exchange volume V outside the device, laterally enveloping the mouth and nose of the user who would benefit from inhaling most of the treated and purified air.

The device thus ensures a continuous inflow of air, which eliminates all the problems associated with the lack of oxygen caused by conventional filtering masks. The continuous circulation flow allows a large amount of air to be (re) treated several times (the percentage of air that has been treated may be as high as 85-90% of the air that is gradually inhaled), thereby allowing an increased level of air purification. The arrangement of the device allows the front face of the face to be unobstructed, ensuring absolute benefit in relation/society. By properly sizing the impeller and the channel portion of the pneumatic circuit, it will be possible to ensure a redundant volumetric supply of discharged and treated air (up to 60 litres of air per minute) and a high flow rate (for example about 10 metres per second), these requirements ensuring the highest quality of air inhaled by the user.

Suitable aromatic or even medicinal substances may be dissolved in the water reservoir, which, once nebulized, provides further benefits to the user by inhalation. More generally, it should be pointed out that in the context of the present disclosure, when referring to water, it is meant to refer to the simplest liquid that is easy to use, however, the possibility that other liquid substances may be used is not excluded, as long as they are suitable to ensure the operation of the device.

Obviously, the device does not require a filter that needs to be replaced periodically once saturation is reached. Filtration with water (preferably distilled water) has no impact on the environment and, depending on the conditions of use, only water needs to be replenished after a certain time.

The catheters are made wholly or partly of a material or technology suitable to provide them with sufficient elasticity, possibly even with a certain elasticity, so as to ensure, on the one hand, the deformability required for wearing and, on the other hand, to adapt to the appearance of the user and in the context, to ensure a stable and at the same time comfortable wearing. However, it is not excluded that the device may be equipped with accessories or auxiliary devices to further increase comfort and stability, such as padding, head support straps, etc. Likewise, the conceptual configuration of the device may be integrated into more wrap-around structures (helmets or the like).

The structure of the treatment unit can be easily made of removable parts to facilitate washing with running water and a suitable detergent before subsequent use, to remove any impurities that may remain in the conduit. The use of UVC LED technology enhances the bactericidal function against microorganisms and viruses that are potentially dangerous to human health.

The power supply battery for providing sufficient autonomy to the motor, sprayer means, and any UVC LED means may be rechargeable according to standard techniques, such as through a USB connector. The motor may be a simple 6V miniature motor adapted to produce an impeller speed of, for example, 12/13000 rpm. Other techniques or speed ranges may be more suitable depending on the embodiment.

Those skilled in the art will also have no difficulty in implementing any sensor capable of monitoring in real time the quality of the air being treated, the reservoir filling and other control parameters of the device. By equipping the device with appropriate electronic and communication components, these sensors can ultimately be used to talk to dedicated applications developed for smartphones, to manage the device by the application itself, and to monitor personal parameters related to, for example, respiratory coefficients. Sharing some of the collected data over the network may also allow real-time air quality mapping in a defined area, with user authorization.

In addition to the above description of the first embodiment, it is obvious that the invention can be simplified to be implemented with different configurations. In the second embodiment, among others, this is the specific subject of figures 8 to 11 referred to below, and in the processing unit 103 the common axis of the impeller and of the chamber is in this case denoted Y ', lying on the general development plane X ' Y ' of the device already defined above, or in any case parallel to this plane. In fact, in the use arrangement, the axis Y' is substantially horizontal and oriented in a lateral direction when the user is in the upright position.

The first end 107b with a smaller diameter and the second end 107c with a larger diameter of the chamber 107 (defining the inner surface 107 a) are thus again oriented on the respective sides of the user's head with the device worn, and the suction conduit 101 and the discharge conduit 102 are joined there at a substantially (coaxial) axial angle. Thus, the aerodynamic flow spreads out so that the main portion remains substantially axial.

This different configuration gives rise to a number of different constructional options for this embodiment, which will be described below in the context of a construction in which centrifugal impeller members are envisaged for facilitating and guiding the flow (although this construction method is in principle not the only possibility for the embodiment now considered).

With respect to the liquid stirring/feeding function, in this case, between the outlet 101b of the suction channel and the first end 107b of the chamber 107, a cylindrical tubular manifold 131 for entering the chamber may be provided, the inner diameter of which substantially corresponds to the inner diameter of the chamber 107 at the first end 107 b. On the inner surface of the manifold 131, a seat 132 is defined, which accommodates the respective piezoelectric foil 109, water being supplied to this seat 132 by means of capillaries 137a, 137b, 137c, the capillaries 137a, 137b, 137c extending between the respective seat 132 and the reservoir 108, the reservoir 108 being here configured as a radial expansion of the manifold in the lower region (i.e. the reservoir 108 being arranged below when the device is worn). For this purpose, the tubes have different developments in this case, the first tube 137a supplying liquid to the foil furthest from the reservoir, in particular having an elongated and arched development according to the circumference of the manifold, on which manifold suitable ribs 131a are provided for this purpose, the other two tubes 137b, 137c being intended for delivery to the foil closest to the reservoir and having a substantially radial development.

The lower portion of the reservoir 108 formed to expand radially as described above may advantageously have a small chamber 108a at the bottom to facilitate collection of impurities.

Turning to the outlet region of the cleaned pneumatic flow, an outlet manifold 139 from the chamber is arranged between the second end 107c of the chamber and the inlet 102b of the discharge conduit 102 and comprises, continuously along the axial path of the pneumatic flow, a cylindrical section 139b immediately downstream of the chamber and a conical section 139c, the diameter of the cylindrical section 139b corresponding to the diameter of the chamber at the second end, the conical section 139c narrowing the passage section to the section of the discharge conduit.

More specifically, the cylindrical section 139b is joined to the chamber 107 by a connecting cup 139c, the centrifugal impeller 104 being centrally housed in the connecting cup 139c, and the connecting cup 139c peripherally defining an annular channel 135a for distributing and guiding the outgoing air. Downstream of the impeller and thus in the cylindrical section 139b, there is a rotor 110, which rotor 110 is driven to rotate together with the impeller 104 and is obviously coaxial with the impeller 104. The rotor 110 is provided with axial vanes to further facilitate flow in the axial direction from the annular passage 135a and inject it into an annular cavity 135b, which annular cavity 135b also surrounds a housing compartment (only schematically shown in fig. 10 and 11) for the motor 106 within the cylindrical section 139 b. Stator elements, not shown here, are typically used to axially transfer the cycle between the impeller and the rotor, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Finally, conical section 139c has the task of conveying the pneumatic flow upward to inlet 102b of exhaust conduit 102. In this embodiment, the UVC radiating LED strips are also or alternatively can be provided in the form of a first arcuate strip 138a in the reservoir 8 and an upper helical strip 138b surrounding the sleeve 107. Finally, the figures of this embodiment illustrate the evolution of a catheter which envisages at least an elastic, deformable or articulated central portion to improve the adaptation to the head of the user, and also show a mesh filter 111 capable of intercepting the inlet 101a of the suction catheter, as already provided generally above, and obviously also usable in the context of the first embodiment.

In this case too, along the path of the air to be treated, the air then enters the suction duct 101 (arrow a 'of fig. 10) and reaches axially directly at the base of the sleeve 107, being sucked axially into the sleeve 107 through its first end 107B (arrow B' of fig. 10 and 11). Here, the air encases the water atomized by the piezoelectric foil 109 (conical region C' in fig. 11). Also, it is the impeller induced turbulence that facilitates the aggregation of suspended particles with the foil-generated micro droplets of water. The mixture is drawn toward the impeller along the axis of the impeller within the chamber by a swirling cycle, the axial component of which is represented by arrow D' in fig. 11.

Toward the second end 107c of the chamber 107, the centrifugal component of the flow (arrow E') pushes the droplets and combined material to settle on the inner side surface 107a, while air enters the compartment of the impeller. In this case, the pressure gradient created in the diverging chamber, primarily, causes liquid deposits to be drawn toward the first end 107b and accumulate in the reservoir 108 (arrow F').

The treated air is distributed downstream of the impeller in the annular channel 135a and from there enters the cavity 135b of the cylindrical section of the manifold 139 by the blades of the axial rotor 110, again with the axial direction indicated by arrow G ', then is conveyed into the conical section 139c (arrow H ') and then into the discharge duct 102 (arrow I ').

This second embodiment is obviously not exhaustive of the structural choices with which the invention can be practically implemented. So far, the description has been made with reference to the preferred embodiments, it should therefore be understood that other embodiments may exist within the scope of protection of the appended claims.

Claims (21)

1. A wearable air treatment device having a generally annular structure configured to be worn on a user's head while substantially not occluding the user's face, the device comprising:

-at least one air suction duct (1) extending between a suction opening (1 a) of the air to be treated containing particles of suspended contaminants and an outlet opening (1 b) of the air, the suction opening (1 a) being adapted to be arranged in the vicinity of the nose-cheek area of the user, the outlet opening (1 b) being adapted to be arranged in the rear area of the head of the user;

-at least one air outlet duct (2) extending between a process air outlet (2 a) and an inlet (2 b), the process air outlet (2 a) being adapted to be arranged in the vicinity of a nose-cheek region of a user, the inlet (2 b) being adapted to be arranged in a rear region of the user's head;

-an air handling unit (3) connected to the ducts (1, 2) and in pneumatic communication with the ducts (1, 2) between the outlet (1 b) of the suction duct (1) and the inlet (2 b) of the discharge duct (2), the unit (3) being adapted to be arranged in a rear area of the head of a user and comprising: pneumatic flow propulsion means from the suction conduit (1) to the discharge conduit (2); an air treatment means (5) configured to receive air to be treated from the outlet (1 b) of the suction duct (1) and return the treated air to the inlet (2 b) of the discharge duct (2); and energy supply means (6) of said pneumatic flow propulsion means and said air treatment means (5);

wherein the air treatment means (5) comprises:

-a tubular chamber (7) defining an inner side surface (7 a) of the chamber and extending along an axis (Z) of the chamber between a first end (7 b) and a second end (7 c), the first end (7 b) having a smaller diameter and being in pneumatic communication with said outlet (1 b) of the suction duct (1), the second end (7 c) having a larger diameter and being in pneumatic communication with said inlet (2 b) of said discharge duct (2);

-pneumatic flow guiding means configured to promote a vortex circulation within the chamber (7);

-at least one water reservoir (8) communicating with said tubular chamber (7) and placed in proximity of said first end (7 b);

-nebulizer means (9) associated with the reservoir (8) configured to facilitate the discharge of nebulized water into the chamber (7) through the first end (7 b), whereby:

the discharge of atomized water is surrounded by the air to be treated entering the chamber (7) from the first end (7 b) and by the influence of the vortex circulation water deposits retaining the contaminant particles are formed adhesively on the inner side surface (7 a) of the chamber (7) and tend to return to the reservoir (8).

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the pneumatic flow propulsion means comprises at least one impeller member (4).

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the pneumatic flow guiding means are formed by the at least one impeller member (4), configured as a centrifugal impeller and coaxially supported within the tubular chamber (7).

4. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the chamber (7) has a frustoconical shape.

5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sprayer means comprises water agitator means in the at least one reservoir (8).

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the water agitator means comprises one or more piezoelectric elements (9).

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the one or more piezoelectric elements comprise one or more foils (9) made of a porous material, the nebulizer means further comprising a capillary tube (37) extending between the reservoir (8) and the foils (9) to supply water from the reservoir (8) to the foils (9).

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the capillary (37) is provided by one or more bodies made of porous or spongy material.

9. The device of any one of the preceding claims, comprising one or more UVC radiation LEDs adapted to at least sterilize the water in the reservoir.

10. The device according to claim 6, comprising at least a first LED strip (38 a) and a second spiral LED strip (38 b), the first LED strip (38 a) being arranged at the height of the reservoir, the second spiral LED strip (38 b) extending around the chamber (7).

11. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the catheter (1, 2) comprises one or more elastic, deformable or articulated parts to improve adaptation to the user's head.

12. A device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising an intake conduit (1) and an exhaust conduit (2) lying substantially on a general deployment plane (X, Y) of the device, which plane corresponds to a transverse plane of the head of a user in the position of use of the device.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the chamber (7) is arranged with the chamber axis (Z) orthogonal to the general deployment plane (X, Y) of the device.

14. Device according to claim 13, when dependent on claim 13, wherein the treatment unit comprises a box-like housing body (31) defined by a lower portion (31 a) and an upper portion (31 b), both lower portion (31 a) and upper portion (31 b) being substantially disc-shaped and substantially polar symmetrical with respect to the chamber axis (Z), the suction duct (1) and discharge duct (2) being joined to the body (31) at the lower portion (31 a) and upper portion (31 b) respectively according to a substantially tangential angle, the chamber (7) being formed by a sleeve housed in the lower portion (31 a) such that the second end (7 c) of the chamber is adjacent to the upper portion (31 b), the lower portion (31 a) being closed at its base by a permeable membrane (32) supporting the sprayer means (9), the lower portion (31 a) forming an annular channel (7) for supplying air between the upper portion (6 b) and the inner portion (31) of the support channel (6), centrally receiving the impeller member (4) and forming an upper annular channel (35) around the impeller member (4) for radial distribution of air and feeding it towards the discharge duct (2).

15. The device according to claim 14, when dependent on claim 7, wherein the permeable membrane (32) provides a seat (32 c) for housing the distribution of the one or more piezoelectric foils (9), and holes (32 d, 32f, 32g, 32 h) for the distribution of the capillaries (37) and of a discharge tube (36) protruding from a first end (7 b) of the sleeve, the first end (7 b) of the sleeve being folded inwards to form a peripheral groove (7 d) adapted to collect water mixed with impurities falling along an inner side surface (7 a) of the sleeve.

16. The device according to claim 12, wherein the chamber (7) is arranged with the chamber axis (Z ') parallel to or on the general deployment plane (X ', Y ') of the device.

17. The device according to claim 16, when dependent on claim 4, wherein a chamber inlet tubular manifold (131) between the outlet of the suction channel (101 b) and the first end (107 b) of the chamber (107), the internal diameter of the manifold substantially corresponding to the internal diameter of the chamber (107) at the first end (107 b), a seat (132) being formed on the internal surface of the manifold for receiving the respective piezoelectric foil (109), water being supplied to the piezoelectric foil by said capillaries (137, 137b, 137 c), said capillaries (137, 137b, 137 c) extending between the respective seat (132) and the reservoir (108), said reservoir (108) being configured for radial expansion of the manifold at the lower region.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the radial expansion forming the reservoir (108) has a cavity (108 a) at its bottom that helps collect contaminant particles.

19. The device according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein a chamber outlet manifold (139) is arranged between the second end (107 c) of the chamber and said inlet (102 b) of the discharge conduit (102) and comprises, in sequence, after the axial course of the pneumatic flow, a cylindrical section (139 b) immediately downstream of the chamber (107), the diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of said second end (107 c) of the chamber, and a conical section (139 c) narrowing the air passage section to the section of the discharge conduit (102), said cylindrical section (139 b) being joined to the chamber (107) by a connecting cup (139 a), said centrifugal impeller member (104) being housed in a connecting cup (139 a) and peripherally defining an annular channel (135 a) for distributing and guiding the outgoing air downstream of said impeller member (104), and thus towards the cylindrical section (139 b), a rotor (110) being arranged in the cylindrical section (139 b), being driven to rotate with said impeller member (104) and being provided with vanes, said annular channel (135) further surrounding the annular channel (135 a) in the axial direction and surrounding said annular channel (106 b).

20. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least the reservoir (8) is supported detachable from the rest of the device.

21. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the energizing means comprises motor (6) and rechargeable battery means.